Let's Begin

I'll get us started. I'm Con Daily, owner and administrator of this blog. However, I didn't start this blog to tell the world about myself (that's my other blog). This one is for all of us in the neighborhood of Elk Falls and surrounding area.

I believe we all need a place to speak for ourselves, to let others know why we are here and what we are all about. I know some of us have issues with others in the area and actively speak out against others in other public forums. That's not the purpose of this blog. Here, instead of speaking out against someone else, you are invited to tell about yourself, your plans, your wishes and your dreams.

I moved here in the spring of 2000, right before the Hi Meadow wildfire. My husband came here much earlier, in 1993. Our place sits high on a hillside and borders the state park. I love to photograph the natural world around my home - the view from my home of Lions Head, the wildlife passing by, the spring and summer wildflowers, and hey, even rocks and tree bark.

I'm excited about hiking and photographing nature in the state park when it opens. But, I'm concerned about camping fires getting out of control. And, I'm concerned about traffic. I've seen the bumper to bumper traffic and roadside shoulder parking around the climbing areas near Boulder and would hate to see our neighborhood become an overflow parking area for the state park.

I've attended state park informational meetings on the development of the park. I've taken a tour of the park with state park rangers and neighborhood residents to see the fire mitigation work that's been done. The highlight of that tour was viewing Elk Falls from Lions Head. The state park rangers and other state park personnel have attended our neighborhood meetings and answered our questions. They have listened to our concerns and have assured us they want to have good relations and to be good neighbors. Though I still have some concerns, I'm convinced the park service intends design the park in a way that will help us control public access to our quiet neighborhood. I'm very happy the park will be open soon.

I'm also very interested in what's happening with the former Sportsmen's Club property. We were members of the private Sportsmen's Club for several years after I came here in 2000. We had my daughter's birthday parties at the picnic grounds, walked the trails, and sledded on the sledding hill. Though I don't fish, I often walked around the fishing ponds on spring mornings to photograph birds and the view of Lions Head from there. The land has now been sold and we're told the property is to be restored to it's historic use as a guest ranch.

I've read the arguments against the guest ranch, and I've read the property owners' rezoning request. Officially, my neighborhood association is against it. But, I believe there may be others in my neighborhood who feel as I do, that I'd rather see the land continue to be used for open space recreation than developed into residential lots.

Now, I'm really interested in hearing from the new owners of the property about the plans for the guest ranch. I'm curious to know if I'll have the opportunity to use the area again, as I did when a member of the Sportsmen's.

That's all I have to say for now about me and my opinions on the current issues you may read about in the local newspapers and on the EFPOA website.

Con Daily

P.S. If I could ask my neighbors for one thing, it would be that they read and comment and post on this blog. I'd like to invite everyone to participate. Let's make this an inclusive rather than exclusive place and get to know each other. Please, consider submitting a post.